Seven new iPad apps to know about
Last month, we launched a brand-new feature called “App of the Week,” in which our editors highlight a new educational app every week. Here are the first seven apps we’ve featured. [ Read More ]

IPads are “transforming” instruction
Educators say students who use iPads are able to look up unfamiliar words as they are reading on the tablets, receive instant feedback from teachers and have access to an unprecedented amount of information without leaving the classroom. While it’s still relatively rare, a growing number of public schools are purchasing enough iPads so that every student can have one. “It’s transforming instruction,” said Marianne Currie-Hall, principal of Roy B. Kelly Elementary School in Lockport, N.Y. “I’ve got kindergarteners who email me their work.” The Buffalo News (N.Y.) (2/14)

Also the SmartBrief for EdTech.

Ill. district plans to lease iPads for students
A school board in Illinois has decided to expand a program in which students use iPads in the classroom, following the success of a pilot program. Now, officials say the district will lease as many as 7,000 Apple iPads — enough to supply about half of the district’s students with the devices. The effort will cost about $1.13 million, and the plan is to draw on money that would have gone to lab upgrades and computer purchases. Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model) (2/25)

How to use cellphones to engage parents in education
Four free, easy-to-use resources can help educators engage with parents via cellphones, writes Lisa Nielsen, a public-school educator and administrator. Among Nielsen’s suggestions in this blog post are to use mass-texting services that allow for safe, one-way communication for reminders and announcements and to use Twitter to relay information to parents. Other recommended tools include ClassPager, which allows parents to respond to polls and questions using their own devices, and Poll Everywhere, which gives parents a chance to relay their opinions. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (2/27)

Even something from the Google Blog alert for mobile learning this week.

Data Indicates Rapid Growth in Mobile LearningBy Kirsten Winkler
Based on two interesting data sets shared by Apple and Cisco, it’s clear that learning on mobile devices, meaning smartphones and tablets, is gaining traction at a rapid pace. While the data shared by Apple is pretty straightforward and does …EdCetera’s RSS Feed